L.A. SPEAK

Los Angeles Unified School District’s 36,000 teachers use a vernacular that can confuse even the most conscientious parent. act out: v. to misbehave. “Your son is constantly acting out in my class.” Basil: n. the reading books used in all elementary classrooms are the Basil Readers, an updated version of the “Dick and Jane” series. “He’s way behind the rest of the class in his Basil .” CAPS: Capacity Adjustment Program Students; children who are bused. “The CAPS are going to be late today.” cume: n. a student’s cumulative record. It includes grades, teacher comments and other information. “I was looking over your child’s cume and I found she’s always acted out in the classroom.” FEPS: Fluent English-Proficient Students who are graded and taught in English. “I have two FEPS in my classroom and it’s difficult for them since everything we do is in Spanish.” GATE: n. a student in the Gifted And Talented Education program. “All the GATEs go to poetry class now.” LEPS: Limited English-Proficient Student; a student graded and taught in a language other than English. “I have 35 LEPS in my room.” manipulatives: n. physical objects such as blocks, beans, tiles, discs, used to help explain abstract mathematical concepts. “When we use manipulatives, he seems to comprehend more easily.” Stull: n. the classroom evaluation a principal gives each of his or her teachers every other year, named for John Stull, the California assemblyman who authored the bill requiring them. “God, what an afternoon. I had my Stull today.”